Thread carrier bar



Jan. 19, 1943. K. P. TUCH $CHERER ETAL 2,303,651

THR'EADTCARRIEER BAR Filed July 51; 1940 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOZS.

KneL PAUL mafia EH56. Jo/m/vmss EHEMQEO M/NZE. 210/420 Orra MOE/V006.

Jan. 19, 1943. A K. P. TUCHSCHERER ETAL 2,303,661

THREAD CARRIER BAR Filed July'3l, 1940 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 [WE/Woes. K021. 'I 'hUL mafia/5952. Ja e/was Eva/420 Kan 2E.

Jan. 19, 1943. K. P. TUCHSCHERER ETAL.

THREAD CARRIER BAR Filed July 51, 1940 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 [NI/EN Toes ma IDAZ/L \Z TUCl/SCl/fEfB. yaw/v55 52/264920 ku/vzE. P/a/nep 0770 llae/mcz.

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Jan. 19, 1943.

K. P. TUCH SCHERER ETAL THREAD CARRIER BAR Filed July 31, 1940 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Bel/420 0770 #nemacz.

Jan. 19, 1943.

K. P. TUCHSCHERER ETAL THREAD CARRIER BAR Filed July 31, 1940 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 [VVE/VIOES.

L442; 9404 7Z/Cl/56WEEEB. fil/QN/VES Eye/M20 ku/vzE. 3/6/4490 Orro HABMQCZ.

Jan. 19, 1943.

" Jan. 9 K. P. TUCHSCHERER ET AL 2,308,661

THREAD CARRIER BAR Filed July 51, 1940 8 Sheets-Sheet '7 fijww, 24

Jan. 1%, W433. K. F. TUCHSCHERER ET AL 5 THREAD CARRIER BAR Filed July 51, 1940 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 I/Wavmes.

Patented Jan. 19, 1943 2,308,6 61 r THREAD CARRIER BAR Karl Paul Tuchscherer, Chemnitz, Johannes Ehrhard Kunze, Hohenstein-Ernstthal, and Richard Otto Harnack, Oberlungwitz, Germany; vested in the Alien Property Custodian Application July 31, 1940, Serial No. 348,988 In Germany August 1, 1939 14 Claims.

The present invention relates to a driving gear for the thread carrier bars or thread guide bars of flat knitting machines.

In most cases the devices used for driving the thread carrier bars employ so-called thread carrier brakes whichare displaceably mounted on a brake bar in such a manner that during movement of the brake bar the thread carrier brakes also are moved by friction, but that if the thread carrier bars abut against stops limiting their stroke the brake bar is drawn through the thread carrier brakes held in a fixed position.

These devices, however, have the drawback that the thread carrier brakes due to the drawing of the brake bars through said ,brakes have to perform a considerable work of friction which is the larger, the larger the amount of drawing of the brake bar through the brakes is, i. e.; the

smaller the way to be performed by the thread carrier bar will be. Besides the consumption of power necessary for carrying out this work of friction other inadequacies, for instance heat development, wear or the like, result all of which reduce the series output of the machine. Moreover, a uniform lead of the thread guides to be moved with regard to the sinkers flrst' operated in each direction of movement cannot be obtained with these devices.

To obviate these drawbacks, various devices have become known which either cause a temporary suppression of the friction effect maintain, however, a non-uniform lead of the thread carrier, or even prevent any friction effect and simultaneously obtain a uniform lead of the thread carrier.

Devices of this kind either are rather complicated and expensive and result in partial successes only or cannot be placed in the space available, and more particularly cannot be built in in machines already in use.

According to the invention all these drawbacks are obviated in a practical manner by pivotally mounting a fork-like lever together with a cam upon a small block of the slurs connecting bar or upon a bar connected to said latter bar which fork-like lever by way of a roller engages and disengages a brakeless driver for the thread carrier bar by fixing and releasing the cam 50 that thisbrakeless driver is reciprocated in such a manner that for all thread carrier strokes an always uniform lead of the thread carrier is obtained with regard to the sinkers first to be operated in each direction of movement.

The device according to th invention is not only to be used for the drive of ground thread carrier bars, but may be used with particular advantage for the drive of plating thread carrier bars also.

In the latter case the fixing and releasing points are arranged to operate a little later so that a smaller lead of a thread carrier results than in the first mentioned cases For fixing and releasing the cam pressure controlled roller levers are provided the engagement and disengagement of which into and out of the cam is with the aid of control lever positively controlled by stops connected to the narrowing device. The engagement and disengagement of these roller levers into and out of the cam may also be efi'ected non-positively byfcontrol levers which are automatically released in case resisttances are offered to them. This cam is mounted under spring tension and frictionally engages the small block and besides the fixing and releasing points it is provided with a projecting curved portion for assisting in holding fast the laterally" sloping points of the curved portion of other roller levers which latter are also controlled by spring pressure. The shaft of the cam carries a brake drum against which bears a tensioned brake band.

Now it has been found that difi'erent'leads of the thread carriers may occur if the cam connected to the fork-like lever is too strongly braked or has too much resistance respectively and cannot sufiiciently rotate if the lever runs against the roller of the driver of th thread carrier.

According to the invention this drawback is obviated by the fact that at the points of reversal of the stroke of the slurs connecting bar the pivoted cam together with the fork-like lever mounted upon said cam are rotated backwardly in such a manner, that the fork-lik lever occupies the position ready, for displacing the driver of the thread carrier bars for the movement in the opposite direction.

Another feature of the present invention consists, in' this that for shifting the roller of the driver of the thread carrier bar arms are provided which act as fork-like levers and individually are shiftable in the longitudinal direction.

For rotating backwardly the cam fixed or movable cam members or the like or special drive gears respectively areprovided. The cam is provided .with guides for the shiftable arms and with a reinforcement for supporting the springs acting upon the arms. The arms resiliently mounted upon the cam have lateral projections on which acts the roller of the driver for the thread carrier bar toallow entrance into the fork formed by the arms. Pivotallv mounted upon the rotatable cam are also rollers or the like which extend into the path of the curved members or the like arranged upon the bar.

In the accompanying drawings some constructions according to the invention are shown by way of example.

In these drawings:

Figs. 1-9 show general views of one construction of the driving gear according to the invention in diiferent operating positions, i. e.:

Fig. 1 before starting the movement from right to left of the thread carrier bar,.

Fig. 2 at the start of the movement of the thread carrier bar,

Fig. 3 during the movement of the thread carrier bar,

Fig. 4 shortly before finishing the movement of the thread carrier bar,

Fig.5 als'o shortly before termination of the movement of the thread carrier bar,

Fig. 6 after termination of the movement of the thread carrier bar,

Fig. 7 after further movement of the slurs connecting bar at which the reversal of the driving gear for effecting movement in the opposite direction is initiated,

Fig. 8 after still further movement of the slurs connecting bar at which the reversal is terminated, I

Fig. 9 during the movement of the thread carrier bar from left to right,

Fig. 10 shows a side elevation of the construc-- tion illustrated in Fig. 1,

Figs. 11 and 12 are; detail views.

Fig. 13 shows a further detail of a modified construction,

Figs. 14-19 show general views of a modified construction, of a driving gear according to the invention in difierent operating positions, 1. e.:

Fig. 14 before starting the movement of the thread carrier bar from right to left,

Fig. 15 at the start of the movement of the thread carrier bar,

Fig. 16 after termination of the movement of the thread carrier bar,

Fig. 1'7 after further shifting of the slurs connecting bar until termination of the reversal of the driving gear for disengagement of the roller of the driver of the thread carrier bar,

Fig; 18 after still further shifting of the slurs connecting bar at which the driving gear begins to run against a fixed curved member,

Fig. 19 after termination of the movement of the slurs connecting bar as well as after running of the driving gear against the curved member,

Fig. 20 shows a side view of the construction illustrated in Fig. 14, and

Fig. 21 is a section on the line A-A of Fig. 20.

Fixed upon the 'slurs connecting bar or a bar connected to the latter is a small block 3 2 of the thread carrier bar. the small block 3 is a shaft 4 and concentrically to this shaft the small block carries a disc 1 provided with recesses 5 .and 6. Pivotally mounted upon the shaft 4 is a cam 8 carrying a fork-like lever 9. Pivotally mounted upon bolts i and II provided at the lower portion of the block 3 are roller levers l2 and I3 which are connected to change over levers M and I5. Laterally of the shaft 4 roller levers l8 and i9 are pivoted upon bolts l and i1 respectively. The change over levers M and and the roller levers I8 and I9 are connected by springs and 2| respectively.

The cam Mounted in 8 corresponding in diameter to that 7 of the disc -1 is provided with a recess 22 which serves as fixing and releasing'points and has stop surfaces 23 and 24. Moreover, the cam 8 is provided with a projecting curved portion 25 and having laterally sloping fixing points 26 and 21 adapted to assist in holding fast the cam 8.

The roller levers l2 and |3 are controlled separately by stops 28 and 29 connected to the narrowing tackle. Each driver 2 of the thread carrier bar is displaceably and brakelessly mounted upon a bar 3|] and is provided with a roller 3| cooperating with a fork-like lever 9. Upon the driver 2 of the thread carrier bar, levers 32 are swingably mounted in a manner known per se which may engage recesses 33 provided in the thread carrier bars 34. The latter carry the thread carriers 35 and stops 36 with which cooperate the means 31 limiting the stroke of the thread carrier bars.

Acting upon the cam 8 is a spring 38 which frictionally presses the cam against the disc 1 provided at the small block 3. This device may be provided to increase the friction surface of the cam.

Mounted upon the shaft 4 is also a brake drum 39 surrounded by a tensioned brake band 40.

The operation of the device according to the invention is as follows:

The cam 8 occupies such a position that its stop surface 24 coincides with the recess 6 of the disc 1 so that the roller the stop surface 24 under the action of the spring 20. The roller lever l2 bears against the circumference of the cam 8. The fork-(like lever 3 has been swung in the direction of movement.

After the slurs connecting bar I has travelled a distance, not indicated in the drawings, from right to the left in the direction of the arrow, the fork-like lever 3 abuts against the roller 3| of the driver 2 of the thread carrier bar (Fig. 1). On further movement of the slurs connecting bar I the lever 9 and therewith the cam 3 are turned by the roller 3| which is at rest. This turning movement or rotation of the lever 3 and the cam 8 is continued until the stop surface 23 abuts against the roller of the roller lever l3 (Fig. 2). From this position the driver 2 of the thread carrier bar is driven by way of the roller 3| (Fig. 3). Before reaching the means 31 limiting the stroke'of the thread carrier bar, the change over lever |5 abuts against a stop 23 controlled by the narrowing tackle and thereby initiates the release of the roller lever l3 from the cam 8 (Fig. 3) which release before the means 31 limiting the stroke of the thread carrier bar is reached (Fig. 4). For reducing the speed of the thread carrier bar, the cam 8 is rotated until the fixing point 26 of the curve 25 abuts against the roller of the roller lever i9 (Fig. 5), Thereupon the driver 2 of the thread carrier bar is further shifted until the thread carrier bar 34 reaches the means 31 limiting its stroke (Fig. 6). The cam 8 together with the lever 9 is released by the roller of the roller lever I9 rising upon the curve 25.

On further movement of the slurs connecting bar I further rotation of the lever 9 and the cam 8 with regard to the roller 3| at rest is effected until the recess 22 is brought into the level of the recess 5 of the disc 1 and the roller lever l2 engages this recess (Fig. '1).

The slurs connecting bar then still moves further and rotates the lever 9 and the cam 8 until the lever 9 may leave the roller 3| (Fig. 8).

On the movement of the slurs connecting bar lever I3 is pressed against is terminated example an already narrowed short thread carrier path has been assumed. For a not narrowed long thread carrier path the roller 3| remains enclosed in the fork-like lever the latter.

Instead of the positive drive of the thread carrier bars and the release of the latter by stops, the device also may be used non-positively thereby rendering superfluous special stops and so on. In this case the levers l4 and I5 are provided with stronger springs and the stop surfaces 23 and 24 are flattened (Fig. 13). The operation of the curve 25 also is somewhat altered, as the latter on the entire way bears against the roller of the roller levers 18 and I9 respectively and hereby effects a non positive aid of the drive.

As. has been described in explaining the'device shown in Figures l-9. in the modified con- 9 without leaving struction of the invention shown in Figures 14-21 in which the individual members corresponding in construction and operation to those shown in Figures 1-13 are designated with the same reference characters, also a small block 3 is fixed upon the slurs connecting bar or a bar connected to the latter for each driver 2 of the thread carrier bar. In these small blocks 3 the shaft 4 is journalled upon which a disc 4| is fixed similar to the disc 1 shown in Figs. 1-9 which also is provided with recesses 5 and 6. Pivotally mounted upon the shaft 4 is a cam 42 which is provided with a projecting curve 25 having laterally sloping fixing points 26 and 21 similar to the cam 8 shown in Figs, 1-9 and which also has a recess 22 with stop surfaces 23' and 24 upon which act the roller levers l2 and I3 having change over levers l4 and I5 respectively. Laterally of the shaft 4 roller levers I8 and I9 connected together by a spring 2| are pivoted upon bolts l6 and I1 respectively.

The middle portion of the disc 42 is provided with a reinforcement 43, the sides carry reinforcements 44 and 45 and the lower portion is provided with a reinforcement 46/ In the guides formed by the reinforcements 43, 44 and 43, 45 respectively arms 41, 48 are displaceably arranged the ends of which carry lateral projections 49 and 50 respectively. The arms 41 and 48 are under the action of springs 5| and 52 respectively which bear against the reinforcement 46.

Each driver 2 of the thread carrier bar is displaceably and brakelessly mounted on a bar 30 and is provided with a roller 3| which cooperates with the arms 41 and 48 the action of which corresponds to that of the fork-like lever 9 shown in the first described construction. At the points of reversal of the stroke-ofthe slurs connecting bar control members 53 and 54 or the like are stationary or movably connected to the bar 30. Pivotally mounted upon the cam 42 are rollers 55 and 56 or the like which extend into the path of the control members 53, 54.

The levers 32 adapted to be swung out and mounted upon the driver 2 of the thread carrier bars and which engage recesses 35 in the thread carrier bars 34 supporting the thread carriers 35, the stops 36 as well as themeans 31 limiting the stroke of the thread carrier bars correspond in arrangement and operation to the equivalent members of the modification shown in Figs. 1-9. The cam 42 is, moreover, also pressed against the disc 4| by means of a spring 38 and upon the shaft 4 a brake drum 39is"mounted-w hich is surounded by a tensioned brake band 40.

, The operation of the deviceaccording to Figs. 14-19 is substantially the same as that of the construction shown in Figs. 1-9. A difference consists in this onlythat the driving gear in the position ready for operation is moved already into contact with the roller 3| of the driver 2 of the thread carrier bar.

If the slurs connectingbar is shifted in the direction of the-arrow X (Fig. 14) from right to left, the projection 49 of the arm ,41 abuts'against the, roller 3| of the bars 30 and depresses the arm 41 against the actionof the spring 5| (Fig. 14) so that, after release of the arm 41 again, the roller 3| is enclosed by the arms 41, 4B in the manner of ,a fork (Fig. 15). .Now byway lof the roller 3| the driver 2 of the threadcair r' 'bar and therefore the thread carrier bar 134 are moved until the means 31, limiting thestroke'of the thread carrier bar, is reached (Fig. 16). 'i'If the slurs connecting bar I is further shifted,. th e cam 42 is rotated in the direction of the hand of a watch by the arms 41, 48 mounted at the cam 42 and surrounding the roller 3| which is at" rest until the roller 3| may slide beyond the arm 48 (Figs. 1'1). The slurs connecting bar then moves .still further until the roller 55 abuts against the control member 53 (Fig. 18). Un-

til the reversal of the stroke of the slurs connecting bar is completed, the cam 42 and therewith the arms 41, 48 are, by means of the stationary control member 53, rotated backwardly in a direction opposite to'that of the hand of a watch into a position which corresponds to the position ready for operation of the driver 2 of the thread 1 movably arranged control members or the like.' i

What we claim is: l. A driving gear for thread carrier bars of fiat knitting machines. comprising a slurs connecting bar, a small block connected to said bar, a fork-like lever and a cam pivotally mounted on said small block, said f ork-like lever, by way of a roller, engaging and disengaging a brakeless driver of a thread carrier bar by fixing and releasing said cam, thereby reciprocating said. driver in such a manner, that for thread carrier strokes a uniform lead of the thread carrier with regard to the first operated sinkers in each direction always is obtained.

2. A driving gear as set forth in claim 1 in which spring pressed roller levers are provided for fixing and releasing said cam, the engagement and disengagement of said roller levers into and out of said cam being positively controlled by way of change over levers by stops connected to the narrowing tackle.

3. A driving gear as set forth in claim 1 in which spring pressed roller levers are provided for fixing and releasing said cam, the engage-1 ment and disengagement of said roller levers into and out of the cam respectively being non-positively controlled by change over levers which are automatically released as soon as resistance is offered to them.

4. A driving gear as set forth in claim 1 in which said cam is mounted on said small block under spring pressure and friction.

5. A driving gear as set forth in claim 1 in which said cam, besides the fixing and releasing surfaces, is provided with a projecting curve assisting in fixing and in which other spring actu ated roller levers act upon the laterally sloping fixing points of said projecting curve.

6. A driving gear as set forth in claim 1 in which a brake drum is mounted upon the shaft of said cam and a tensionedbrake band is passed round said brake drum.

gether with said fork-like lever arranged upon said cam are rotated backwardly in such a manner, that said fork-like lever is brought into the operating position for influencing said driver of the thread carrier for moving the thread carrier bar in opposite direction.

8. A driving gear for the thread carrier bars of flat knitting machines, comprising a slurs connecting bar, a small block connected to said bar, a cam pivotally mounted on said small block, individually displaceable arms arranged in spaced relation from each other and each" provided at its free end with an outwardly extending projection, said arms being resiliently mounted on said cam and by way of a roller, engage and diaengage a brakeless driver of a thread carrier bar by fixing and releasing said cam, thereby reciprocating said driver in such a manner, that for thread carrier strokes a uniform lead of the thread carrier with regard to the first operated sinkers in each direction always is obtained.

9. A driving gear as set forth in claim 8 in which .iixed control members are provided for rotating backwardly said cam.

10. A driving gear as set forth in claim 8 in which movable control members are provided for rotating backwardly said cam.

11. A driving gear as set forth in claim 8 in which special drives are provided for rotating backwardly said cam. I

12. A driving gear as set forth in claim 8 in which said cam is provided with g ides for the movable arms and with a reinforcement against which bear springs acting upon said arms.

13. A driving gear as set forth in claim 8 in which said arms are provided with lateral projections upon which acts the roller of the driver of the thread carrier bar for the purpose of entering into the fork formed by said arms.

14. A driving gear as set forth in claim 8 in which rollers are pivoted upon said cam which extend into the path of said control members mounted on said bar.

' KARL PAUL TUCHSCHERER.

JOHANNES EHRHARD KUNZE. RICHARD O'I'I'O HARNACK. 

